Team News

Rise With Us: Ian McCaw

With the spring football season now behind the Flames, the Liberty Football program has turned its full attention to the 2018 season, the program's first at the FBS level.

LibertyFlames.com concludes a series of interviews today talking about Liberty's FBS transition process by interviewing Director of Athletics Ian McCaw.

McCaw is leading the athletics department through its FBS transition process, which includes several different facility upgrades. During his interview with "Voice of the Flames" Alan York, McCaw discussed some of the facility changes, including expansion to Williams Stadium and a remodel of the Football Operations Center.

Since the close of the 2017 season, Williams Stadium has undergone its first expansion phase since the stadium was remodeled in 2010. A new upper deck seating area is being installed on the East side of the stadium, increasing stadium capacity to 25,000. The student side of the facility will feature expanded restroom and concession options, plus amplified Wi-Fi capabilities.

Fans will also see a new scoreboard, a new entrance to the stadium, road improvements and new bus loading and unloading areas to improve road and foot traffic.

Earlier this month, Liberty unveiled plans to completely renovate the Williams Football Operations Center, home base for Liberty's football program since 2006.

Two-story additions to both the east and west sides of the building will bring the center from 48,000 to about 75,000-square feet and help round out the stadium's bowl shape. The renovated facility will be adjacent to Liberty's spectacular new Indoor Football Practice Facility that opened last summer.

Construction is expected to begin after the last home football game this year against New Mexico State on Nov. 24 at 2 p.m.

The entire building will receive exterior and interior renovations. A spectacular player lounge on the ground level will double as a recruiting area for football as well as other NCAA Division I sports. The second story will feature patios that look out onto the field.

The team locker room and lounge will be renovated and enlarged, with room for over 100 lockers that will be arranged in a spoke layout, so that coaches can better address all the players.

The training room will receive many enhancements, including oversized plunge pools. A state-of-the art weight room and nutrition center, currently in the lower level, will also be expanded as offices housed there will be relocated to the additions.

The new building space has been designed to allow for natural skylighting, with sunlight shining through from the top floor into the weight room. Studies conclude that training with sunlight has many benefits for student-athletes.

Plans also call for the soccer locker room, currently located next to the soccer stadium behind Williams Stadium, to be incorporated into the west-side addition of the FOC. That will leave more space to expand the north stadium entrance and add more security checkpoints so fans can enter faster.

Rise With Us: The Process

On Feb. 16, 2017, the NCAA approved Liberty's waiver request to begin the two-year FBS reclassification process. Liberty completed its final season as a FCS program in 2017, playing as a member of the Big South Conference.

During the 2018 season, Liberty will compete as a FBS independent program and will not be eligible for postseason competition. At the conclusion of the two-year transition process, Liberty will be a full-fledged FBS program in 2019, which will include the opportunity to compete for bowl game appearances.

The Flames will host their first FBS home game against Old Dominion on Sept. 1, 2018, the first of four FBS teams to visit Williams Stadium in 2018 to meet the FBS reclassification criteria. The 2018 home schedule also features FBS matchups against North Texas (Sept. 22), Troy (Oct. 13) and New Mexico State (Nov. 24).

Fans who purchased season tickets by the priority deadline of May 15 will have priority for seat assignments. For more information about becoming a season ticket holder, please contact the Flames Ticket Office at (434) 582-SEAT (7328) or tickets@liberty.edu.

Fans can support Liberty Football and enjoy special game-day privileges by joining the Flames Club. The Flames Club exists to underwrite Liberty Athletics' three-fold mission to train Champions for Christ, provide a world-class student-athlete experience and achieve victory with integrity.

Flames Club membership starts at just $60 and members can enjoy preferred parking, seating and pregame hospitality benefits, based upon membership level.